Surprise Visitor
by Callahan
Summary: COMPLETE A visitor to Atlantis is a surprise for everyone and changes Colonel Shepherd forever. Reviews appreciated.
1. Chapter 1 Surprise!

**Disclaimer – **I don't own anything, this is just for fun, no money involved, please don't sue me.

**A/N –**There are eight chapters, I'll be posting two every evening so all chapters will be posted by Friday. This is my first SGA fic, please review, all criticism is welcome.

**Chapter One – Surprise Visitor**

Lieutenant Colonel Shepard and Dr. Weir were on their way from one of the labs to the control tower when Colonel Shepherd suddenly stopped in the middle of the corridor.

"Is something wrong?" Dr. Weir asked.

"No, I just remembered something I'm supposed to bring to Dr. Beckett, it's in my quarters. Do you mind if we make a pit stop?" Colonel Shepherd asked.

"Not at all, we've got plenty of time before the briefing from Sergeant Bates," Dr. Weir answered then followed him down a side corridor to his quarters.

The doors to his private quarters slid open silently to reveal quite a surprise. Standing between the door and the bed was a woman about thirty years old clad only in the sheet obviously pulled from the officer's bed. She was tall, almost six feet, with dark raven hair and ice blue eyes that were wide in surprise. All three of them recovered from the shock and spoke simultaneously.

"Who are you?" Colonel Shepherd asked.

"What's going on here Colonel?" Dr. Weir asked.

"This really isn't what it looks like." The woman said, her hands clutching the fabric around her.

"Security to Colonel Shepard's quarters," Dr. Weir ordered.

"There's no need for that," the woman said.

"One more time, who are you?" Colonel Shepherd asked, "And what are you doing in my quarters?"

"Well, it was either recorporealize naked here or in the gate room," the woman answered with one hand on her hip, "Which would you have preferred?"

"You made the right choice," Colonel Shepherd muttered.

"And my name is Alora Valeran, I've come to help you," the woman said.

"You're an Ascended," Dr. Weir said softly as the realization dawned on her.

"Not as of five minutes ago," Alora said with a smile. "I guess you'd call me an Ancient. It's very good to see you again Dr. Weir."

Colonel Shepherd and Dr. Weir shared a look of confusion before looking back at the strange woman.

"Oh, that's right, it was the other you I met before, I think," Alora said with a confused look of her own, "This still gives me a headache. By the way, it might be a good idea to call off the security force until we have a chance to talk. They're sure to have a few embarrassing questions."

Dr. Weir considered this for a moment then ordered the security team to stand down.

"You will need to see Dr. Beckett though," Dr. Weir said sternly.

"But maybe we should get her some clothes first," Colonel Shepherd offered.

"Yes, please," Alora said with a hopeful look.

"Colonel, why don't you stay here with Alora while I get her something to wear," Dr. Weir said.

"Sure, but why don't we step inside away from prying eyes," Colonel Shepherd said as he stepped inside the doors.

"I'll be back soon," Dr. Weir said as the doors slid shut.

Dr. Weir made her way down the hall towards the transporter to take her to the supply rooms. While Alora was about her height, she had a more athletic build and would need something a little bigger.

"I don't understand why you couldn't make yourself clothes, Chaya can," Colonel Shepherd said.

"Chaya is still an ascended being. She is made of energy and can mold that energy into her former shape with clothing. I am fully corporeal, can't create anything that wasn't part of me to begin with." Alora explained.

"So, why my quarters?" Colonel Shepherd asked, trying to be nonchalant.

"These used to be my quarters," Alora said with a smile as she looked around the room, "But I like what you've done with the place. I like Johnny Cash too."

"How do you know about Johnny Cash?" Colonel Shepherd asked surprised.

"When you've been around as long as I have you learn a lot," Alora said.

"Exactly how long have you been around?" Colonel Shepherd asked.

"If you include the time I was ascended, 10, 849 years. If you don't 262." Alora answered. "But I hadn't been back to the city until recently."

"Wow," Colonel Shepherd said. "When was the last time you were here?"

"When I stepped through the gate to Earth when we evacuated," she answered with a sadness in her voice.

"How old were you?" Colonel Shepherd asked quietly.

"Twenty-three," she answered just before the doors slid open to reveal Dr. Weir with a pair of military boots atop a set of neatly folded standard issue Atlantis Expedition uniform.

"Here you are," Dr. Weir said as she stepped in and placed the items on the unmade bed.

"Thank you," Alora said with relief.

Colonel Shepherd followed Dr. Weir out of the room and briefed her on what he learned while they waited for Alora to dress. She emerged just a few minutes later in a surprisingly well fitting uniform.

"I appreciate it, you even got the boots the right size," Alora said with a smile, "How 'bout we all have a chat?"

Colonel Shepherd and Dr. Weir escorted Alora to the Control Tower and got several curious glances along the way. Once they entered the large conference room, Alora requested that Teyla, Sgt. Bates, Lt. Ford, Dr. McKay, and Dr. Beckett join them. It only took a few minutes for them to join Colonel Shepherd, Dr. Weir and Alora in the conference room, all with curiosity written on their faces.

"My name is Alora Valeran, I am what you would call an Ancient, and until just a little while ago I was also an ascended being." Alora began.

"You are one of the Ancestors," Teyla said with reverence.

"While I am of the race that seeded human life here, none of my descendants are of this galaxy," Alora said.

"Why are you here?" Sgt. Bates.

"To help you."

"Why?" Dr. Weir asked.

"Because I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines, I'm tired of watching while those we created are destroyed through the consequences of our own mistakes. I'm tired of having the power and knowledge to help and not being able to use it." Heather said with conviction, "We abandoned those we created, first to the Wraith then to the Goa'uld, and it is our responsibility to protect humanity from evil. In that we have failed."

"But why become corporeal again? Couldn't you help more by still being an ascendant?" Dr. McKay asked.

"As an ascendant I was subject to their rules, by rejoining this plane they cannot punish me for breaking them. I took the opportunity when they were otherwise occupied to voluntarily become corporeal so that my knowledge would remain intact." Alora answered. "And I still have a few tricks up my sleeves."

"Like what?" Colonel Shepherd asked.

"_Like telepathy_," they all heard in their minds.

"And the ability to heal," Alora answered out loud. "But what will be most helpful will be my knowledge. Like teaching you the process for creating what you call a Zero Point Module."

"We can create one?" Rodney asked incredulously.

"Yes," Alora said.

"And you'll share this information freely?" Dr. Weir asked.

"Yes, and other things to help you battle the Wraith," Alora said solemnly, "But I will not share everything I know and I will not necessarily answer all your questions. There are certain things you are not ready for."

"Like what?" Colonel Shepherd asked.

Alora smiled and answered, "Do you really think that's one I will answer?"

"We understand, is there anything else?" Dr. Weir asked.

"Just one, I don't want you to discuss my presence with Earth," Alora said seriously, "They will want to talk to me, especially Dr. Jackson, and they won't be happy when I refuse."

"How are we supposed to explain the sudden jump in our understanding of Ancient technology?" Rodney asked.

"Just tell them that the information came from the city's database and you just found it," Alora said.

"Also, Teyla, I would appreciate it if you did not inform your people of my status. I do not wish to be worshiped as some sort of savior or deity."

"I understand," Teyla acknowledged with a nod of her head.

"We'll need to tell the rest of the staff that she's somebody who's supposed to be here," Colonel Shepherd said.

After a moment of thought, Dr. Weir said, "We'll make her a physicist, Dr. Laura Valencia, recently arrived from Earth with the most recent visit from the Daedelus."

"But they left two days ago," Sgt. Bates said.

"She's been in isolation since she arrived with an unknown illness that was recently identified as harmless and cured," Dr. Beckett offered.

"Sounds good to me," Dr. Weir said, "Colonel Shepherd I leave it to you to settle her in quarters and with some personal effects she might need. Rodney, once she's settled, I want you to get going on producing a ZPM. All information is to be coordinated through the people in this room and only the people in this room. Is that clear?"

There was a round of "yes ma'am"s before Dr. Weir dismissed them. Colonel Shepherd followed Dr. Beckett as he took Alora to the infirmary for routine tests then escorted her to quarters down the hall from his own.

"Well, if there's anything you need, just let me know," Colonel Shepherd offered as he heard a very audible grumble from Alora's stomach.

Alora looked embarrassed and placed her hand over her stomach and said, "Apparently I could use a good meal."

Colonel Shepherd smiled and said, "C'mon, I don't know about good, but we can provide you with a meal."

Even with the time of day, there was still a small crowd in the commissary. Colonel Shepherd led Alora through the service area, grabbing a sandwich for himself and led her over to an empty table. Slightly tentative at first, Alora soon dug into her meal with gusto.

"I've never seen anyone enjoy commissary food so much," Colonel Shepherd remarked.

"I forgot what food tasted like," Alora said and seeing the look on Colonel Shepherd's face added, "I haven't been hungry in 10,000 years, give a girl a break."

Later that evening when Colonel Shepherd returned to his quarters he detected a subtle difference in the room, a scent. Knowing that it must have been Alora's presence that caused the change, he tried to define it. It was a little sweet but with a nutty musk part to it also. He was surprised to find himself smiling as a long forgotten memory of his early childhood surfaced. He knew this scent from somewhere, he just didn't know where.


	2. Chapter 2 Getting to Know You

**Chapter Two – Getting to Know You**

Bright and early the morning after her arrival, Alora set to teaching Dr. McKay how to build a ZPM. Dr. Weir met with her for over two hours that afternoon to decide how to allocate Alora's time so that all the changes she was suggesting got equal attention. A schedule was soon worked out and Alora was going to be spending four hours in the morning with one person and four hours in the afternoon with another. This allowed her to spend several hours each week with each department, although she would be spending the most time with Dr. McKay. Alora made only one request, that she be allowed one afternoon off per week.

It was Alora's first afternoon off when she sought out Teyla. She found the Athosian woman in the commissary finishing her lunch.

"May I join you?" Alora asked.

"Of course," Teyla said graciously, "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you had some time this afternoon for a workout session," Alora said as she dug into her salad.

"I do, there is a room on level fifteen in Section A that I have used previously to train Colonel Shepherd," Teyla answered.

"I know where that is, what time would be convenient for you?" Alora asked.

"I am available for the rest of the day beginning at 1400 hours," Teyla answered.

"I will meet you there," Alora said as Teyla got up from the table to dispose of her tray.

At 1400 hours Alora entered the room Teyla had mentioned dressed in the black t-shirt and gray pants similar to all personnel but her hair was tightly braided to her skull and her feet were bare. Teyla was already there dressed in the tight fitting top and split skirt she wore when training with Colonel Shepherd.

"What type of workout did you have in mind?" Teyla asked.

"I believe the training you have been giving Colonel Shepherd would be fun," Alora said as she entered the room.

Meanwhile Colonel Shepherd entered the commissary to find Rodney having one of his several meals of the day.

"Hey, have you seen Dr. Valencia?" Colonel Shepherd asked.

"Uh huh," Rodney mumbled between bites of his meal.

"I overheard her ask Teyla for a training session this afternoon, I think they said 1400 hours in the training room in Section A," A female scientist said from the next table.

"Oh no," Colonel Shepherd said then took off for the room he was all too familiar with.

It took him a few minutes to reach the semi-remote room and he was almost breathless when he palmed open the door. The sight that greeted him was almost as surprising as Alora's arrival. Teyla and Alora were circling each other like a pair of boxers with batons in their hands rather than gloves on them. Neither woman acknowledged his entrance and he stepped back when they both exploded into action. He had seen Teyla in action before with other Athosians, but what he was witnessing was much faster and far more powerful. Alora matched Teyla blow for blow, effectively blocking Teyla's attacks and counterattacking when openings in Teyla's defenses allowed. Colonel Shepherd watched them for over twenty minutes when Alora found the opportunity she was looking for and disarmed Teyla in one lightning fast move. With Alora's batons cris-crossed in front of her neck, Teyla stepped back and acknowledged defeat with a slight bow.

"You are a fine warrior Teyla, you do your people and your ancestors proud," Alora said with a bow of her own.

"Thank you Alora, I would be happy to spar with you any time," Teyla said.

"So, you ladies getting along?" Colonel Shepherd said from the doorway.

"Yes Colonel, we are," Teyla said.

"I didn't know you could do that," Colonel Shepherd said to Alora. "That something you picked up during your time with the glowy ones?"

"Nope, something I learned growing up," Alora answered as she returned the batons to Teyla, "But for us it was a form of exercise and self-discipline, not necessarily for battle. Although, it was used more than a few times to settle disputes between two individuals."

"Cool, well I just wanted…" Colonel Shepherd started.

"To make sure I didn't get hurt," Alora said as she approached him, "Don't have to be telepathic to see that. Don't worry, I'm tougher than I look."

Alora exited the room and made her way to her quarters leaving Colonel Shepherd and Teyla in the training room.

"Do you ever get the feeling she's holding something back?" Shepherd asked Teyla.

"Of course, she told us as much herself at the first meeting," Teyla answered.

"Not technological stuff, something personal," Colonel Shepherd said quietly.

The next morning Colonel Shepherd knocked on the doors to her quarters. A couple of moments later she emerged dressed and ready to go.

"I thought we might grab breakfast before our jumper training," Colonel Shepherd said.

"Sure."

When they arrived in the commissary, they found Dr. Weir already enjoying her meal. Once they had gotten their own trays, they joined her.

"How are you this morning Dr. Weir?" Alora asked.

"I'm well, and you?" Dr. Weir asked.

"Very well. Are we still scheduled for our meeting this afternoon?" Alora asked.

"As far as I know, unless something comes up," Dr. Weir answered.

Less than an hour later Alora sat in the co-pilot's seat of a puddlejumper as Colonel Shepherd lifted it up into the sky above the city.

"This is Jumper One, we are away and beginning our patrol," Colonel Shepherd informed the Control Tower.

"We read you Jumper One, see you in a few hours," Dr. Weir's voice came over the communications system.

"Alright, what are we going to do first?" Colonel Shepherd asked.

For the next two hours Alora instructed Colonel Shepherd on the use of the Jumper's systems that they hadn't accessed yet. Colonel Shepherd was a fast learner and Alora found her with more time that she needed so she requested a little joy ride. Colonel Shepherd relinquished control to Alora and immediately she began a steep climb to take them out of the planet's atmosphere.

"I take it you've missed this," Colonel Shepherd said when he saw the look on Alora's face.

"Yeah, I haven't flown one since we evacuated the city, we didn't take any with us back to Earth so as to prevent any impact on the development of humanity on that planet," Alora explained.

"So what exactly did you do? What was your job?" Colonel Shepherd asked.

"I guess you would call me a mechanic, I was part of the team responsible for maintaining all our technology. During the last year of the siege I was tasked with researching the archives for 'less advanced' methods to accomplish the tasks we would need to survive. When we arrived on Earth I coordinated the construction of our first settlement." Alora explained. "Once we'd settled into our new way of life I helped maintain the equipment, but like all the other members of the younger generations my primary job was as a parent."

"You had kids?" Colonel Shepherd asked.

"Yeah, you sound surprised," Alora said.

"Well," Colonel Shepherd said, "You just don't look like most moms."

"This is what I looked like when I was the equivalent of 30 Earth years," Alora said, "And although I still looked good, I didn't think recorporealizing as s 262 year old would have been wise."

"Probably not." Colonel Shepherd said, "So how many kids did you have?"

"Twenty-two," Alora said as if it was a common thing.

"Wow," Colonel Shepherd said.

"You've got to remember that we lived quite long lives," Alora said.

"Yeah, how exactly did you do that?" Colonel Shepherd asked, "And don't tell me good clean living."

"No," Alora answered, "We cheated a little bit. We had a device that continuously regenerated our cellular structure, it slowed down the aging process almost completely. Our numbers were so decimated by the Wraith that we needed to extend our life-spans to bring up our population."

"Hence the 22 kids," Colonel Shepherd added.

"Yup," Alora said as she put the Jumper into a dive that would take them back into the planet's atmosphere.

"Atlantis this is Jumper One, we're returning to base," Colonel Shepherd announced to those in the Control Tower.

"Welcome home Jumper One,"

Alora expertly piloted the Jumper back to Atlantis and set it down gently in the bay. She dropped the door on the back and followed Colonel Shepherd out of the craft.

"Oh hey," Colonel Shepherd said as he and Alora split to go their separate ways.

Alora stopped and turned to him to see what he wanted.

"What did you guys call this planet?"

"Eloy," Alora answered with a smile then turned and went on her way

**A/N: **Eloy is Latin for "chosen"


	3. Chapter 3 Secrets Revealed

**Chapter Three – Secrets Revealed**

It had been two weeks since Alora arrived in the city and everyone outside Dr. Weir and the others at that first meeting believed she was a scientist dropped off the last time the Daedelus visited. None of the other scientists questioned that Rodney suddenly found the information and equipment needed to create ZPM's. The hardest part turned out to be having to intentionally make mistakes so that they didn't arouse suspicion. While most of the materials needed existed on the same planet as the floating city, there was one key element that did not. Alora gave the address of the planet to Dr. Weir and was very disappointed when she wasn't permitted to join Colonel Shepherd's team to locate the element. Alora didn't like the argument that she was too valuable to loose if something unexpected happened on the planet, but she did have to agree that it would be unusual for a physicist to be joining the mission when Dr. McKay was already going.

"There is something I haven't had a chance to ask you about," Dr. Weir said from behind her desk.

"What's that?" Alora asked as she sat across from the other woman with a cup of hot cocoa in her hands.

"I'm a little confused about the timeline, can you lay it out for me?" Dr. Weir asked.

Alora smiled and took a sip of her cocoa before answering, "We evolved in a different galaxy, not here and not Earth's. We conquered intergalactic travel and ended up in what you call the Milky Way. We found many planets remarkably similar to our home world throughout different stages of our evolution. We established colonies and research stations and the stargate system. Then we found it, a world that had just experienced a massive extinction and we seized the opportunity to begin our most ambitions experiment, to create life as we had designed it. And it worked."

"Earth," Dr. Weir stated.

"Yes," Alora confirmed, "After the initial stage of the experiment we sat back to watch it evolve. But we didn't sit back and do nothing during this time, we focused our attention on our own evolution. Genetic disorders and disease still plagued our people. Our efforts to eliminate these problems led to our own demise. A mutation of a relatively harmless childhood disease proved incredibly deadly and over 80 of our population succumbed to it within one year. Our one salvation was that 10 of our population survived, having a previously unknown genetic immunity to the disease. Fearing that the disease would mutate again and wipe out the survivors, our entire population in the Milky Way converged on Atlantis and departed for this galaxy."

"What about the humans on Earth?" Dr. Weir asked.

"While our genetic makeup was used as a blueprint to create theirs, they did not have the genes that made them susceptible to the disease. They were all immune." Alora answered.

"So you came here and seeded life in this galaxy using what you had learned on Earth," Dr. Weir said.

"Yes," Alora said, "Then the Wraith happened and we evacuated to Earth when we knew we couldn't win. Our population could never recover from the losses, there wasn't enough genetic diversity to sustain our species, and since the humans of Earth were genetically compatible we implemented a long term plan. By passing on our genetic traits, we hoped that one day the humans of Earth would evolve to a point where they could reclaim our place in the galaxies."

"The Goa'uld interrupted that plan," Dr. Weir added.

"Yes," Alora said, "But they almost put it back on track by allowing their technology to be studied by Stargate Command. With what they learned, they were able to leap forward several stages in technology."

Just as Dr. Weir opened her mouth to speak again, the technician at the gate control console called out an alert that there was unscheduled off-world activation. Alora and Dr. Weir raced to the control room as the technician called out that it was Colonel Shepherd's signal, they were early. The shield was dropped and Shepherd's team came running through, first Dr. McKay, then Teyla and Lieutenant Ford with Colonel Shepherd bringing up the rear. Shepherd had just stepped completely through the event horizon and the technician was about to raise the shield when a tiny ripple indicated that something had followed them. The gate snapped shut and everyone turned to Colonel Shepherd for an explanation. He had a blank look on his face and his hand went up to his chest.

"John!" Alora cried then raced down to the railing above the gateroom and leaped over as if it were a chain-link fence.

She landed heavily on her feet as everyone watched Colonel Shepherd fall to his knees. Suddenly multiple things happened at once, Dr. Weir called for a medical team, McKay and the others knelt down next to their team leader and Alora raced to his side.

"Move! Let me by!" Alora yelled in a tone that was not to be disobeyed.

Teyla and Ford had already ripped off Shepherd's vest and outer shirt when Alora was suddenly kneeling on the other side of him.

"Step back!" Alora commanded as she reached down and ripped open his black t-shirt to reveal the hole from the projectile that had pierced his vest before tearing through his lung.

Alora held her open hands out over his chest and closed her eyes in concentration. Dr. Beckett's team, followed by Dr. Weir, had arrived and pushed past the Colonel's team. Dr. Weir grabbed Carson's arm to hold him back when she saw Alora's hands. A golden glow emanated from her hands and a look of peace covered her face. After several moments the glow faded and Alora pulled her hands back. Where a bloody wound had been was now unblemished skin.

"He will be fine," Alora whispered breathlessly as Carson kneeled down next to the Colonel.

No sooner had she finished her words than her eyes slid shut and she slumped before collapsing to the floor next to Colonel Shepherd. Carson was checking the Colonel's vitals when he saw Alora go down. He continued his work and began barking orders to his staff. Soon the medical staff had Colonel Shepherd loaded on the gurney and was whisking him to the infirmary while Dr. Beckett checked on Alora.

"Is she…?" Dr. Weir asked.

"Her pulse is a little weak and her respiration's a little shallow for my tastes, I won't know more til I run some tests," Dr. Beckett answered as a gurney arrived for Alora, "But Colonel Shepherd appears to be doing just fine. I'll know more in about an hour."

"Alright, keep me informed," Dr. Weir said then turned to the rest of Colonel Shepherd's team, "Get cleaned up and checked out, we'll debrief in an hour."

Dr. Weir turned to walk back up to the Control Room when a glint of metal on the floor caught her eye. She bent down and picked up the small object. Its original form was now indistinguishable, but the spots of crimson told her exactly what it was.

An hour later Dr. Weir entered the conference room and was soon joined by Teyla, Ford, Rodney and Dr. Beckett.

"How are Colonel Shepherd and Alora, Dr. Beckett?" Dr. Weir asked.

"Colonel Shepherd is fine, all tests are normal and there's no sign of any damage from the bullet. His body's just recovering from the shock to his system, the human body wasn't meant to heal that fast." Dr. Beckett reported, "Miss Valeran on the other hand, I'm not 100 sure how she is. Her whole body is in some kind of light coma, other than the odd results of her electrolyte test there seems to be nothing wrong with her."

"Could she be sick like Aiyanna?" Dr. Weir asked.

"No, there were no detectable pathogens. Based on Dr. Fraiser's report from the incident, I believe Alora has been seriously weakened by healing Colonel Shepherd but is not a carrier of the disease. If she was, it would have shown up before now." Dr. Beckett answered.

"Any idea when Colonel Shepherd might wake up?" Dr. Weir asked.

"Should be soon and he'll probably be discharged right away," Dr. Beckett answered.

"Good, I've spent enough time in that infirmary," Colonel Shepherd's voice came as the louvered doors swung open.

"Colonel, you really shouldn't be out of bed yet," Dr. Beckett said as Shepherd took a seat at the table.

"I feel fine, better than fine," Shepherd argued. "And you were going to release me anyway."

"You can stay for now Colonel, but if Dr. Beckett thinks for a second that you need medical attention, you will follow his orders to the letter. Am I understood?" Dr. Weir said forcefully.

"Yes ma'am," Shepherd said.

For the next hour Colonel Shepherd and his team recounted their most recent mission. The natives were slightly more advanced than the Genii and paranoid. It didn't take long for them to make it clear that they weren't willing to trade for the ore and the team would have safely returned if McKay hadn't opened his mouth. One muttered phrase about ungrateful morons and the local military was on their tails. A lucky parting shot by one of the pursuers caught Colonel Shepherd on the other side of the event horizon. Dr. Weir concluded their debriefing and dismissed everyone to their individual tasks. She accompanied Dr. Beckett to the infirmary to check on Alora's status.

"I guess we won't be able to keep her secret any longer," Dr. Weir commented as they entered the infirmary.

"Probably not," Dr. Beckett agreed.

Beckett stepped over to confer with one of the nurses as Dr. Weir approached Alora's gurney. She looked down at the woman and leaned closer when she thought she saw Alora's eyes flutter.

"Carson." Dr. Weir called.

As Dr. Beckett stepped up to the gurney Alora's eyes opened partially and she held his eyes with her own.

"Alora, can you hear me dear?" Dr. Beckett asked soothingly, "I don't know enough about your physiology. What can I do for you?"

"Electrolyte drip," Alora whispered coarsely.

Dr. Beckett turned to give the order while Elizabeth leaned closer, "Thank you for helping Colonel Shepherd, but you shouldn't have put yourself in danger."

Alora locked eyes with Elizabeth and managed to respond before consciousness left her, "I wasn't going to fail him again."


	4. Chapter 4 More Secrets

**Chapter Four – More Secrets**

Alora remained in a light coma for two more days while Dr. Weir began briefing the department heads on Alora's true identity to control the rumor mill that was running on all cylinders. Meanwhile Teyla, Lieutenant Ford and even Rodney McKay made visits to the infirmary. Colonel Shepherd on the other hand made a conscious effort to stay as far away as possible. On the third day Alora woke completely but agreed to another night in the infirmary so Dr. Beckett could keep an eye on her. Upon her release from the medical facility Alora made straight for Dr. Weir's office.

"I'm glad to see you feeling better Alora," Dr. Weir said indicating that the other woman should take the seat across from her desk.

"I'm doing much better, I'll be 100 by tomorrow," Alora assured her, "I do want to apologize for the position I've put you in. Please let me know what I can do to take any heat you might receive from your superiors when you report this."

"I'm going to report this directly to General O'Neill and the President, we'll need their support to keep some of the other elements in Earth's governments from demanding you return with the Daedelus." Dr. Weir said, "We've got two weeks before Colonel Caldwell arrives, just take it easy and we'll worry about that when it happens."

"Thank you." Alora said then exited the office.

She made her way to the commissary for a much needed meal. The looks she was getting from the staff did not go unnoticed. Alora sat alone in the commissary and ate quietly then went directly to her quarters where she rested for the rest of the day. The next day she resumed her schedule with the scientists, although now that her secret was out they could move a little faster and more people could be brought in. Three more planets that held the ore needed for the ZPM components were put on the mission list and two of them produced favorable results.

A week after being released from the infirmary Alora was scheduled to meet with the senior members of the expedition for an update on the ZPM project. While everyone else arrived on time, Colonel Shepherd walked in late, it was the first time Alora had seen him in person since being released. During the meeting Colonel Shepherd said little and when he did it was mostly one word statements. As soon as the meeting was adjourned he waited until Alora left before rising from his chair. He quietly followed her at a distance, fighting with himself over what to do next. As he followed her down one of the corridors music in the form of a voice carried back to him. It was Alora. The words seemed to be in the language of the ancients but the melody was familiar.

Colonel Shepherd stopped dead in his tracks as his mind was assaulted by a flood of memories. After a few moments he shook his head to clear the memories as anger clouded his features. With new determination Shepherd followed Alora to her quarters. He didn't even bother to knock, just waved the doors open and stepped inside. Alora heard the doors open and spun around to see who had entered so rudely and was surprised by the look on Shepherd's face.

"Who are you?" he demanded angrily as he approached her.

"What do you mean?" Alora said with confusion and fear.

"I recognize your scent, and I recognize that song you were just singing," he said, "And I heard what you said in the gateroom when you were healing me. What did you mean by 'I just got you back, I'm not loosing you again.'?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Alora said as she shrank back against the wall to get away from him.

"I think you do and I don't need to be able to read your mind to see that. Now tell me, what aren't you telling us?"

Seeing the look in his eyes, Alora admitted defeat and hung her head.

"This isn't the first time I've resumed corporeal form." She answered softly, not meeting his questioning gaze.

"It's not?" he asked with his anger now softened with confusion.

"I did it once before… thirty-five years ago…on Earth," she said then brought her head up to look at him.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she continued, "I fell in love with a young man. After I retook this form we married. We had a son."

The tears slid down her face and her breath caught with emotion as she fought to keep from breaking down, "When he was still young we were in an accident. It happened so fast. I automatically ascended and Martin died before I could help him."

At her words Colonel Shepherd's eyes went wide and he took a step back from her.

"I tried to return, I tried to go back… but the others stopped me. They said they wouldn't allow me to tamper with fate again," Alora said through the tears as she tried to reach out to him.

Shepherd took two more steps back from the pain in her eyes and the truth they held as she finished, "I didn't abandon you John, I didn't run away."

Several emotions flashed across his face before he turned and ran from the room. As the doors slid shut, Alora fell to her knees sobbing.


	5. Chapter 5 Family Reunion

**Chapter Five – Family Reunion**

Colonel Shepherd raced towards the one spot in Atlantis where he was likely to be left alone, the surface level of the northwest pier. Really not wanting to see anyone he kept to the unused corridors, stairs and transporters. Once outside he took a deep breath then ripped the headset from his ear and switched it off before putting it in one of his pockets. He walked out towards the end of the pier and sat down, closing his eyes to feel the ocean breeze and the spray it kicked up. He sat there for hours, not even aware that he'd missed a scheduled meeting with Dr. Weir and she had been trying to locate him.

Dr. Weir was beginning to worry, she had checked with Rodney, Teyla, Lieutenant Ford and even Sergeant Bates and had yet to locate Colonel Shepherd. She decided to try one more person before activating the city-wide address system.

"Alora this is Dr. Weir, respond please," she said into her headset.

"This is Alora, go ahead," the woman responded, her voice flat.

"Have you seen Colonel Shepherd? He's late for a meeting," Dr. Weir said.

Several moments passed before Alora answered in the same flat tone, "He's on the northwest pier, his favorite spot."

Now even more concerned, Dr. Weir told the technician on duty that she was canceling the rest of her meetings for the day but would be available by headset for emergencies. It took her quite a while to reach the pier as it was one of the most remote places in the city. She found Colonel Shepherd sitting cross-legged on the floor near the end of the pier looking out at the ocean. She approached him, deliberately not being quiet so as to alert him of her approach.

"John?" she said softly as she sat down next to him.

His gaze didn't leave the ocean waves as he began, "You've read my personnel file."

"Only what was pertinent to clearing you for the expedition," Dr. Weir confirmed.

"But you know I was raised in foster care from the time I was five," he said.

"Yes, you're an orphan," Dr. Weir acknowledged softly.

"I was told that my father died in a car accident," Colonel Shepherd said, "And that after the accident my mother couldn't be found. I didn't have any other relatives so I was made a ward of the state."

"John, what happened?" Dr. Weir asked as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I never tried to learn about my parents, even though his death was an accident, I felt like my father abandoned me just like my mother did." John said with a sigh before continuing. "Only it turns out she didn't abandon me. Turns out she was in the car, they just didn't find a body because she ascended."

"Martin and Lora Shepherd," Dr. Weir sad quietly as realization dawned on her, "Oh my god. Alora's your mother?"

"So she says," John said.

Elizabeth waited a few moments before she asked, "Do you want to know for sure?"

John turned to look at her with the question in his eyes.

"Carson has her DNA sample on file and yours is part of the staff database," she explained, "he doesn't have to know why we're testing it. We'll just have him run the comparison through the system and have him leave the room so only you and I will see the results."

"Would he do that?" John asked.

"I think he would," Elizabeth answered as she stood up and held her hand out. "C'mon."

John and Elizabeth went directly to Dr. Beckett's office where he agreed to run the sample but with unasked questions in his eyes. He allowed them to use his office to view the results as it offered the most privacy. Twenty minutes later the message flashes across the screen. Alora's DNA was a 50 match to Colonel Shepherd's.

"What are you going to do now?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't know," John said, "I guess it depends on if I believe her."

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked confused.

"She told me she tried to come back after the accident, but the others wouldn't let her," John answered.

"Talk to her," Elizabeth said as she reached over to delete the information that popped up.

Colonel Shepherd wandered through the rest of the day and ate alone in the commissary before turning in early. He tried to get some sleep and failed. Alora's eyes as she told him she hadn't abandoned him haunted his thoughts. There was so much pain that she had to be telling the truth. He decided to take Elizabeth's advice and he threw on jeans, a t-shirt and tennis shoes. A short while later he found himself outside her quarters.

He stood there for several moments before Alora's voice came from the other side of the door, "You can come in."

He hesitated another moment before waving his hand in front of the sensor and stepping through the door. He was surprised to see that she was placing the few possessions she had been given by Dr. Weir in a duffle bag.

"What are you doing?" John asked.

"I think it's best if I leave, I spoke with Dr. Weir earlier. She said the least she could do was allow me to keep a few things," Alora said without stopping her packing.

"Where are you going?" John asked.

"I'm not sure yet."

"Don't go," John said quietly.

"You have a mission John, something that's too important for you to be distracted," Alora said as she looked up at him.

"I'm not sacrificing my family for the mission. What good is it for the mission to succeed if you don't have family? Family is the reason all of us came here, to protect those we left behind on Earth," John said as he approached her. "And I'm not giving up the opportunity to get to know my mom."

Alora smiled at him and pulled him into an embrace.

"My Johnny, my little boy," she said as she held him.

When she stepped back she added, "Let's just keep this between us though, it might be a little weird for other people. And I don't even want to think about the look on Jinto's face if he found out you were the son of an Ancestor."

John smiled for the first time in a while then said, "Elizabeth already knows, but she won't tell anyone."

"Why don't you get a good night's sleep and tomorrow you can start with the questions you have," Alora offered.

"Don't you have any questions for me?" John asked.

Alora answered with a smile, "I may not have been present during most of your life, but that doesn't mean I wasn't there."


	6. Chapter 6 History Lesson

**Chapter Six – History Lesson**

The next morning Alora met Colonel Shepherd in the commissary for breakfast. After discussing their respective schedules for the day they settled on meeting in the training room for their mother-son talk. It was difficult for both of them to concentrate on the tasks at hand since they were both so nervous about that evening. Dr. Weir saw how distracted Colonel Shepherd was, and knowing the situation, called him into her office.

"You obviously talked to Alora, she's requested to stay," she asked.

"Yeah, we spoke for a few minutes last night and we're having a sit down tonight," John confirmed.

"Are you going to be OK? Do you want someone to be with you?"

"I think things are going to be alright, and this is something I have to do alone," John answered.

"My door's always open if you need to talk," Elizabeth said.

"I appreciate that, thanks," John said before excusing himself from her office.

Dinner seemed to take forever and John rushed to his quarters to change into street clothes before heading down to the training room. He got there and found the room empty and checked his watch, he was a full fifteen minutes earlier than the agreed upon time. Only a couple of minutes went by before the doors slid open and Alora entered trying to contain her laughter.

"What's so funny?" John asked.

"There's a new rumor going around the city," She answered.

"You mean they've moved on from the ones about you?" he asked. "So, what's it about?"

"It's gotten around that you and Dr. Weir were in Dr. Beckett's office yesterday alone going over some kind of test results," Alora explained.

"Yeah…" he said his concern beginning to grow.

She said with a smile, "Apparently Dr. Weir is expecting and you're the father. Why didn't you tell me I was going to be a grandmother?"

"What!"

"Don't worry, no one's really taking it seriously, it's just something juicy to share," Alora assured him. "It'll blow over."

"But still," John said.

"C'mon, take a seat," Alora said as she moved over to one of the built-in benches.

John took a seat near her and asked, "So, when exactly were you around?"

"First day of school, the day you entered the Air Force, the day you finished flight training," she said. "The day of the crash."

"The angel," John said.

"And while you were at that first foster home," she said softly.

"My imaginary friend," John said, "But he was a white tiger I named Bob."

"Yeah, that took a little getting used to," She said.

"Tell me about dad," John requested.

"He was a good man, so kind and gentle, that's what made him such a good doctor," Alora said with a sad smile, "He was doing his pediatrics rotation when we met. He was working night shifts, I used to visit the sick children. I saw how he was with them, especially the terminal ones. When he found out I was pregnant he was so happy. He loved you so much, we both did."

"I wish I could remember him," John said sadly.

"You can," Alora said.

"How?"

"Take my hand," she said as she held it out for him.

John took her hand in his and his mind was pulled into a spiral of thoughts and emotions. Just as he thought he was about to be buried by the chaos everything stilled.

"Sorry, that takes a little getting used to," Alora's voice said, "You can open your eyes."

John opened his eyes and found himself standing in the center of a hospital room surrounded by beds with children in them.

"Where are we?" he asked as he looked around.

"My memory," Alora said as he noticed for the first time that everything seemed to be bigger than he thought it should be. "Once your father enters, everything will play out as the original events did."

She was dressed as a young mom right out of the seventies and she was tall, far taller than she was in the real world.

"What are you wearing?" he asked.

Alora smiled and said, "I'd find a mirror before I ask that question in that tone."

John spied the reflective surface of a full length mirror on a wall between two of the beds and quickly ran over to it. He gasped in surprise when he saw his reflection. He wasn't himself anymore, he looked to be a young boy of about four or five years old. Worse yet was the fact that he was dressed in a sailor suit and little white shoes.

"What the hell is this?" He asked as he turned to face Alora.

"That's what you were wearing in my memory of this day," she explained.

"But a sailor suit?" he whined.

"Is that my little man?" came a cheerful voice from the doorway.

John looked up to see a tall man, just over six feet with sandy blonde hair and green eyes dressed in slacks and a lab coat. A stethoscope hung around his neck and a sheet of clown stickers peaked from the pocket on his coat.

"Dad?" John asked.

"Johnny," the man said and knelt down as he opened his arms wide.

Without hesitation John ran into the man's embrace and was picked up into an enthusiastic hug.

"I missed you dad," John whispered.

"I know son, these late shifts stink, but they're almost over." Martin Shepherd said then pulled back to look his son in the face, "Then we have two whole weeks just you and me and your mom. We're going to go see the Grand Canyon and the mountains and we'll go fishing. We're going to have so much fun."

Martin shifted his son over to his hip as Alora approached them, a smile of contentment on her face. She leaned in and gave her husband a kiss on the lips then turned and placed a soft kiss on John's forehead.

"Let's get going, since you were so good today, why don't we stop by the store for some ice cream?" Alora suggested.

"Sounds good to me, how 'bout you?" Martin asked his son.

"Yeah!" John agreed joyfully as he threw his arms around his father's neck.

The happy family made their way out to the car in the parking lot and Alora passed the keys to her husband. All three of them climbed into the front seat of their sedan and headed for the grocery store. They got their ice cream and Alora kept her eyes on her husband and young son as they talked all the way back to their house.

"Alright little man, it's time for bed," Martin said once they finished their ice cream.

"Do I have to?" John whined.

"Yes, go get ready, we'll be up to tuck you in soon," Alora said as she gave her young son a gentle shove towards the stairs.

John's shoulders were slumped in disappointment as he made his way up the flight of steps. When he reached the top he turned around to see his mother in his father's arms. They both had radiant smiles on their faces just before they leaned in for a kiss. John smiled and turned to go to his bedroom. He was surprised when he knew exactly where his bedroom and the small, turquoise colored bathroom were. He put on a pair of space themed pajamas and climbed into his small bed with matching sheets. A couple of minutes later his mother and father entered and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Good night Johnny," Martin said as he leaned in and gave John a light kiss on his forehead, "I love you."

"I love you too daddy," John said just before they all heard the phone ring.

"I better get that, see you tomorrow," Martin said then got up and left the room.

"Sleep well my little boy," Alora said as she too gave John a kiss on the forehead.

"Momma, sing to me," the little boy requested.

"Ok," Alora said then began to softly sing what John had heard in the corridor.

John's eyes slowly slid closed and Alora gently ran her thumb across his little cheek as she finished the lullaby.


	7. Chapter 7 New Abilities

**Chapter Seven – New Abilities**

John's eyes flew open at the loss of the physical and mental contact with Alora. He looked up and saw the tears falling from her closed eyes.

"Are you alright?" John asked as he reached out to touch her shoulder.

Alora looked up at him and said sadly, "We never got to go on that trip, the accident was two days later."

John pulled her into an embrace and whispered, "Thank you for sharing that with me, I know how painful it was."

"He loved you so much," Alora said.

"And so did you," John said, "I know that now… mom."

Alora pulled back and said with a hint of a smile, "It's been a long time since you've called me that."

"Too long," John said, "Now, tell me more about you."

For the next two hours Alora told John the story of her life, the highlights anyway, 262 years was a lot to cover. He asked a few questions and Alora was completely honest with him. The only things she refused to discuss were those related to her time ascended.

"How did you die?" John asked, "The first time."

"I was on the receiving end of a ribbon device," Alora answered.

"Ford told me about those once, that's not a nice experience," John said.

"No, it's not, but the slaves I was trying to free made it out ok," Alora said with a smile, "And I was tired."

"Well, yeah, after 262 years the body is pretty worn out," John said.

"With the device we had, physically I was only 55 years old," Alora said. "But 262 years is a long time to be alive."

"But weren't you still 'alive' when you ascended?" John asked.

"Yes, but it was like being born all over again, there was so much more to the universe," Alora answered, "It took me a long time to even get used to it."

Suddenly the city wide communication system came on and Rodney's voice sounded throughout the room.

"Alora to the ZPM lab, Alora to the ZPM lab immediately," the urgency in his voice was unmistakable.

"On my way," Alora said into her headset as she and John took off for the lab.

When they arrived the lab was a flurry of activity.

"What's going on?" John demanded.

"We've got an uncontrolled buildup of energy in one of the ZPM crystals." Rodney yelled from across the room, "If we can't stop the build up it's going to explode."

"John, get a jumper and meet me outside the balcony at the end of the corridor," Alora ordered as she stepped across the room to the worktable.

John didn't hesitate and ran straight for the jumper bay. In the meantime Alora began dismantling the partially completed ZPM. After a couple of minutes she had the overcharged crystal separated from the rest and ran from the lab. Dr. McKay and Dr. Weir followed Alora down the corridor and out onto the balcony. The puddlejumper had just pulled up next to the balcony.

"_Turn it around and drop the rear hatch_," Alora said to John's mind.

John followed her silent directions as Alora sat on the railing and swung her legs over the side, the crystal tightly clutched in her hand. He looked over his shoulder and seeing Alora sitting on the railing moved closer. When he got close enough Alora leaped onto the lowered hatch, tucked and rolled into the back of the jumper.

"Make for the south polar sea," Alora ordered as she stood up.

John took off before the rear hatch even closed while Dr. Weir and Dr. McKay looked on.

"What happens if that crystal blows up inside the jumper?" Dr. Weir asked as she turned to look at Dr. McKay.

Rodney didn't have to answer, the look on his face told her enough.

"What are we doing?" John asked from the pilot's seat.

"The explosion's going to be big, we need to be far enough away from Atlantis and the mainland," Alora said from just behind his seat. "When we get within 25 miles slow down and drop the rear hatch."

"Coming up on the target area," John said a few minutes later.

Alora made her way to the back of the jumper and held on to one of the overhead bars.

"Dropping the hatch," John called from the front.

As soon as the hatch was low enough, Alora threw the crystal as far as she could. Before she could yell to John to close the hatch, the crystal exploded and the shockwave quickly caught up with the jumper. The ship violently lurched forward and Alora was thrown to the floor. John fought with the controls for a moment before he was able to bring the ship level again.

"Are you alright?" John asked as Alora came up front and took the co-pilot's seat.

"Yeah," Alora said with pain evident in her voice.

John looked over and noticed a small cut above her left eye that was bleeding freely. He then saw that her left hand was cradling her upturned right hand that was red and blistered as if it had been burned.

"Oh crap," John said quietly then activated the radio, "This is Jumper One, come in Atlantis."

"This is Atlantis. What happened Colonel? We detected a large explosion over the southern pole," Dr. Weir's voice came back.

"We were able to dispose of the crystal before it overloaded by Alora's been hurt. We're on our way back, have Beckett and a team meet us in the jumper bay," John said.

"What are the nature of her injuries Colonel?" Dr. Beckett asked over the radio.

"Her right hand is severely burned and she has a cut above her left eye that's bleeding. I think she hit her head when the explosion rocked the jumper." Shepherd answered.

"Is she conscious?" Beckett asked.

"I'm right here," Alora said with a touch of exasperation in her voice.

"We'll be landing in a few minutes," Shepherd said.

Less than ten minutes later the jumper was descending through the upper bay door. As John brought the ship to land, Dr. Beckett and his team approached with a gurney. John led Alora out of the jumper as she continued to cradle her burned hand.

"I don't think so," Alora said indignantly when she saw the gurney, "I am perfectly capable of getting to the infirmary on my own."

"You may have a concussion," Dr. Beckett argued.

"No, I don't, as it is the injuries I have will be healed by tomorrow," Alora said, "Just clean and bandage my hand and the cut. Then I am going to bed."

"Very well, c'mon," Dr. Beckett said as he motioned for Alora to follow him.

Several minutes later Alora emerged from the infirmary and headed for her quarters. She had just entered when there was a knock at the door. Alora 'listened' with her mind and realizing who it was smiled.

"Come in," she called.

The doors slid open and John walked in, "I wanted to see if you were ok."

"I'm fine, and like I told Carson, by tomorrow there won't even be a trace of damage," Alora explained.

"Do you have to wait until tomorrow?" John asked.

"What do you mean?" Alora asked curiously.

"Well, I was just thinking that if you have the ability to heal others, and half of me is made up of you, maybe I could heal you," John explained.

Alora smiled and said, "It is an ability you have, but you are not familiar with it and it can take a serious toll on the body, even for those experienced with it."

"Let me at least try, I'll stop if I start to feel weak," John pleaded.

Alora sighed recognizing that she wasn't going to hear the end of this until she agreed.

"Alright, take a seat on the floor." Alora said as she sat down cross-legged on the floor.

John sat down in front of her and asked, "Any tips before I start?"

"We'll just focus on the cut, just clear your mind and focus on the end result rather than the actual healing process," Alora said as she removed the butterfly bandages from her forehead.

John reach up and held his open hand over the cut then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a few moments Alora could feel the warmth from his hand and closed her own eyes. She concentrated on what was happening within her own body and a smile spread across her face as she could feel the tissue being repaired. The cut was just about completely repaired when John's hand suddenly dropped.

Alora opened her eyes and asked concerned, "How do you feel?"

"A little tired, how bout you?" John responded.

"Almost as good as new, you did very well," she answered with pride, "But now you need to get some rest."

Alora got up off the floor and helped John up. Seeing that he was slightly unsteady on his feet, Alora helped John out the door and down the corridor to his own quarters. Once inside John practically collapsed on the bed. Alora smiled down at her son remembering him as a little boy. As he was already in just a t-shirt, pants and boots, Alora removed his boots before pulling the blanket up over him. Sound asleep, John didn't even acknowledge her touch when she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.


	8. Chapter 8 Conversations

**Chapter Eight – Conversations**

The next morning Alora woke fairly early and went to check on John. She found him still sound asleep and decided to let him rest since he obviously needed it. Her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten yet this morning so she made her way to the commissary. After breakfast she stopped by the ZPM lab to go over the previous day's events with Dr. McKay. They identified the problem and the team of scientists quickly went back to work on the design. While Alora was discussing the next step with Dr. McKay, Dr. Weir entered the lab.

"Good morning Alora, how are you feeling today?" Dr. Weir asked as she noticed that her hand was no longer bandaged and the cut above her eye had disappeared.

"I'm doing well, thank you," Alora said, "I'm stopping by the infirmary just before lunch."

"Carson will be glad to hear that," Dr. Weir said with a smile, "Do you have some time to meet with me today?"

"Sure, I'm free right now," Alora said, "We figured out what went wrong yesterday, so we won't have the same problem again."

"Great, follow me," Dr. Weir said then exited the lab.

Alora followed Dr. Weir to a balcony just off the control room where a couple of tables and chairs had been set up for when control room staff took a break. The two women sat down at one of the tables with the cups of coffee they had picked up on the way.

"I wanted to talk to you about Colonel Shepherd," Dr. Weir said.

"You're a good friend to him," Alora said.

A little surprised, Dr. Weir asked, "He said that?"

"No, but he didn't need to," Alora said, "And your concern for his well-being is evident."

"Oh, well, I'm a little concerned with recent events and I just wanted to make sure he was doing ok. Lord knows he won't go and see Dr. Heightmeyer if anything's wrong." Dr. Weir said.

"That's something you should be asking John," Alora said, "And if you do, he will answer."

"How about you, how are you doing with all this?" Dr. Weir asked.

"It's more than I could have hoped for to reconnect with him," Alora said with a smile. "My intention upon returning to this plane was not to reenter his life, I just wanted to try and repair our mistakes."

"So, Colonel Shepherd being here was just a happy accident?" Dr. Weir asked.

"Pretty much, but I would still be here even if he wasn't," Alora assured the other woman.

"Thank you for talking to me about this Alora, I know you want to keep your relationship with Colonel Shepherd under wraps." Dr. Weir said, "And I'll have a talk with him this afternoon."

"He should be up soon, he really needed his sleep, he healed me last night and it took a lot out of him."

"He can heal?" Dr. Weir asked astonished.

"All humans with the passed on gene can, it's just a matter of thinking the right way," Alora answered, "John is only marginally better at dealing with our technology than the others because of his more direct source of the identifying gene. What really makes him better able to interface with our technology is the way he thinks, the way his mind works, and that's because of the combination of being the direct offspring of an Ancient and a much more evolved human. Everyone else with the gene only received it because thousands of generations before them did and each one was a little less advanced than the one that came after them. If Dr. Beckett was to have a child with an Ancient, that child would be even more adept at using our technology than John is. Not because of my contribution to his or her genetic make up, but because of Dr. Beckett's."

"Can you teach our people how to heal?" Dr. Weir asked.

"No," Alora said shaking her head, "I probably could teach children, but the thought processes of adults are already ingrained and usually can't be changed. Besides, it takes a lot of energy and it's too dangerous for an inexperienced individual to attempt."

"I see," Dr. Weir said, the disappointment evident in her voice.

"Humanity is still evolving, one day you will be able to master the latent abilities within each of you, but you must be patient. We learned the hard way that evolution must be allowed to happen naturally." Alora said then took a sip of her coffee.

After her conversation with Dr. Weir, Alora made her way to the infirmary for her appointment with Dr. Beckett. He gave her the once over and pronounced her as good as new before releasing her. After lunch Alora headed back to the ZPM lab to check on their progress.

"How's everything going Rodney?" Alora asked as she entered the room.

"We've already started production on the crystal that was destroyed, and the remaining crystals should take another week." Dr. McKay answered.

"Good, just in time for the Daedelus to arrive," another scientist said.

"Perfect, since we need that ZPM to initialize the power to this one. Once we have this first one done, the next ones should take half the time." Alora said.

Meanwhile, Colonel Shepherd was just waking up for the day. As he got up out of bed he realized he was still dressed in his uniform from yesterday. His sleepy mind cleared and he began to remember the previous day's events. He smiled with pride at his accomplishment until he saw his alarm clock. Cursing at the late hour he ran for the bathroom and set a new personal record for getting ready. He was putting on his jacket as he sprinted out the door and headed for the control tower.

"_Relax, I cancelled your appointments for the day, you needed the rest_," Alora's voice sounded in his mind, "_Dr. Weir does want to see you, but have something to eat first."_

"_Thanks mom_," he replied with more than a little attitude.

"_You're welcome dear_," She fired back.

Colonel Shepherd grabbed a late lunch and made his way to Dr. Weir's office.

"Alora said you wanted to see me," he said when he entered.

"Yeah, I do, but why don't we take a walk," Dr. Weir said.

Shepherd immediately knew what this was about, Dr. Weir only took discussions out of the office or conference room if they were personal. The two leaders went down one of the lesser used corridors where they knew they wouldn't be likely to be disturbed.

"I wanted to see how you were doing with all this," Dr. Weir began.

"It was a little uncomfortable at first. I mean, my whole life I thought she had run away, that she didn't want me. Turns out she was in just as much pain as I was. Last night she shared a memory with me, one of my father. It was like I was actually there, I could feel how much they both loved me, and how much she loved him. I've never experienced anything like that before." John said, his voice full of emotion.

"So, you're getting along," Dr. Weir said.

"Yeah, it's still a little weird that she's physically younger than me, but at the same time she's over 10,000 years old," John said.

"I imagine that would be confusing at times," Dr. Weir said. "I take it you'd still like to keep your relationship to yourselves."

"Definitely, it's like mom said, Jinto already has this hero-worship thing going on, can you imagine what it would be like if he knew my mother was an Ancient." John said with a smile.

Dr. Weir pictured the young boy's face and started to laugh.

It was very late in the evening and Dr. McKay and Alora were the only ones left in the lab, the rest of the scientists and technicians having already turned in for the night. Alora pushed her chair back from the computer she was working at and stretched.

"I think it's time to call it a night," Alora said as she got up.

When she got to the door, Alora turned around and noticed that Rodney was still working.

"Rodney, go get some rest, this will be here in the morning," Alora said.

Dr. McKay looked up and nodded before shutting down his laptop and joining her at the door. They headed to the nearest transporter and took it up several levels to the living quarters area. Just as they went their separate ways Dr. McKay called out to Alora.

"What's up?" Alora asked as Rodney walked up to her.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," he said nervously.

The next morning Dr. Weir, Colonel Shepherd, Lieutenant Ford and Teyla were seated together in the conference when a rather dejected looking Dr. McKay entered. They went on with their briefing as normal and reassembled in the gate room for their mission an hour later. The wormhole was established and the team turned to give Dr. Weir and Alora a wave goodbye.

"What's up with you McKay? You look like someone just ruined one of your toys," Colonel Shepherd asked as the wormhole disengaged behind them.

"Nothing," McKay grumbled.

"I heard he got shut down last night," Ford said.

Shepherd grinned evilly and said, "By whom?"

"No one," McKay barked as they continued to walk.

"One of the marines informed me that it was Alora Valeran," Teyla said with a straight face.

Colonel Shepherd stopped dead in his tracks and Dr. McKay nearly ran into him.

"You asked Alora out?" Shepherd said angrily as he spun around to face the scientist.

"Yeah, so," Rodney mumbled before finally looking up to see Shepherd's face.

Shepherd grabbed Rodney by the shirt and pulled him closer so that his face was only inches from Colonel Shepherd's.

"If you go anywhere near Alora again, other than to work on the ZPM, I will snap you in half," Colonel Shepherd growled.

"Sorry, it's not like you have to worry, she said no," Rodney spat back.

John released Rodney and the two men took a step back. John was about to order the rest of the team back to the mission when he heard Rodney mumble something.

"What did you say?" John asked.

"I said, after that thing with Chaya I should have known you had a thing for Ancient women," Rodney said harshly.

"Rodney! That's just…wrong" John cried.

"Why? She's incredibly hot," Rodney started.

"Dude, she's my mom!"

The End


End file.
